Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Hot on the way back
Whether you call them the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or simply refer to them as the Bucs, this professional football team knows how to wow the crowds. This NFL team is a member of the NFC South Division. They became an official NFL team in 1976 and played for the first time with the western division of the American Football Conference. Florida fans feel like Tampa Bay Buccaneers ticket sales skyrocketed when they first went public. Even when the team suffered 26 losses, the support of the fans did not waver. The Tampa Bay Bucs repaid this confidence by becoming strong title contenders and in 2002 they took home the Super Bowl XXXVII crown.
The Beginning of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In 1976, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became an NFL team along with the Seattle Seahawks. A year later, they were moved from the AFC West division to the NFC Central with Seattle taking over their AFC spot. These allegiance changes were part of the expansion guidelines that made it possible for the two new teams to play each other twice and every other NFL team once in the first two years alone.
Tom McCloskey was originally awarded the Tampa Bay expansion franchise but lost it due to financial setbacks. The Tampa Bay franchise ended with a tax attorney named Hugh Culverhouse. The team’s name was in honor of Tampa’s annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival and is also a testament to the spirit of the area’s legendary buccaneers.
Today, the team plays in the renovated Tampa Stadium, which is home to nearly 73,000 fans. Football fever is rampant among fans in the Sunshine State, and since opening day, Tampa Bay Buccaneers tickets have sold in record numbers. This has made it possible for the team to thrive with even 2 additional professional soccer teams residing in the same southern state.
History-making moments for the Tampa Bay football team
The Buccaneers were 0-26 during their first 2 years of play, but by 1979 things were starting to look up. Their 5 wins in a row at the start of the 1979 season gave them much needed respect and admiration from the other teams. The fans were ecstatic and soon every available Tampa Bay Buccaneers ticket was claimed by people who wanted to enjoy the championship chase.
The team was even selected by Sports Illustrated for the magazine’s cover photo and feature article. In anticipation of a playoff bid, Bucs management used STP oil on the goalposts to prevent them from being knocked over by over-eager fans. Tampa Bay was victorious against a Kansas City Chiefs team 1-13 and crowds packed the field. With a 10-6 record, the Buccaneers now had a winning season to brag about and went on to win the Central Division.
From the brink of failure to exceptional success
1996 heralded many changes for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and began with the death of Culverhouse. Despite record ticket sales for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was revealed that the organization was on the verge of bankruptcy. The team changed hands and was purchased by Malcolm Glazer for a record $192 million. Glazer and his family were committed to making the Bucs a winning proposition, and it turned the tide for Tampa’s mighty football organization.
The Buccaneers had a good shot at the playoffs in 2008 and were 9-3 with just 4 games left on their regular schedule when the going got tough. The announcement that defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin would be heading to the University of Tennessee came on December 1st and the Bucs lost their momentum and last 4 games. This put them out of contention for a playoff spot. In 2009, the team is looking for a chance to get back on track and its chances of contending for the championship look good. Tampa Bay Buccaneers tickets are already scarce as fans await another shot at that elusive Super Bowl crown.